Sash balance



Jan. 15, 1929. 1,699,341

J. P. APPLIIBY I SASH BALANCE Filed Jan. 5, 1927 Inventor.

Patented Jan. 15, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES 1?. APPLEBY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO FRANK GRAVES SASH, DOOR AND MILL COMPANY, OF LOS .ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

SASH BALANCE.

Application filed J'anuary 3, 1927. Serial No. 158,586.

This invention has to do generally with :sash balances of the type embodying a spring-actuated drum or pulley mounted within a housing carried by a window casing, there being a flexible band wound about the drum and extending into connection with the window sash. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with attachment members whereby such connection is 10 made, as well as with the combination of balance structures and such attachment members.

An example of a balance to which the present invention may be applied. with advantage is shown in my co-pending application for United States Letters Patent entitled Sash balancefiled April 20, 1926, Serial No. 103,247. I have illustrated this balance in the drawings of the present application, but it is distinctly to be understood this is in no way limitative on the resent invention, considered in its broader aspects, for it may be applied with equal advantage to balances of otherdesign.

. One of the main features of the present invention has to do with provisions made for caring for conditions existing before the balance is installed in a casing and connected to a sash. The tension of the drum-revolving spring necessarily is such as would draw the free end of the connecting band into the drum, were preventive means not provided. Of course, it is essential that this end be held exposed so the workman may grasp it and unwind the band when he is ready to connect band and sash. This preventive means usually is provided by the sash-attachmentmember. as in the present case, or, by such a member in combination with the bent over end of the connecting band. Heretofore, however, this preventive means has been more or less unsatisfactory. For instance, the attachment members have been liable to become cocked or wedged in the face plate aperture through which the band extends, resulting sometimes in twisted or broken bands and, in any event, being undesirable, as will be readily understood.

Therefore, it is among the objects of my invention to provide an attachment member which will serve positively to limit the takeup of the hand without becoming unduly wedged, cocked or twisted in the housing aperture, thereby insuring that the balance,

and more especially the band, is in proper working condition when the installer is ready to make connection with the sash.

It is also among the objects of the invention to provide a sturdy, simple and cheaply manufactured attachment member which may be connected with ease and dispatch both to the band and to the sash. As a still further feature, the ears which are struck up from the attachment member to provide limit stops before the band has been applied to the sash, are of a nature to be embedded in the sash during application of the band thereto, and thus serve as means for holding or aiding in holding the member to the sash. Further objects and novel features of the invention will be made apparent in the following detailed description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective viewof the preferred embodiment of my improved attachment member;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a sash balance to which the attachment member is applied;

the connecting band beingshown as fully taken up; i

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an elevation similar to Fig. 2

but showing the connectingband partially withdrawn and applied to a sash; and

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal medial sect-ion through the attachment member or clip, showing the preferred means of connecting it to the band.

' At the outset, I may state that Figs. 1 and 2 show the attachment member on an enlarged scale, while the proportionate thicknesses of the band and attachment member, as well as the width of the band-passing slot of the housing are shownin the other figures on a somewhat distorted scale. This is done for the purpose of avoiding confusion which would arise were the elements to be drawn in true proportion.

As stated above, I have here shown my invention embodied in a balance constructed in accordance with the showing of the aforementioned, co-pending application, but thia is done merely for pointing out clearly an illustrative embodiment and is not to be construed as limitative on the invention, considered in its broader aspects.

Housing structure 10 includes-a single sheet of metalbent. to provide an elongated face plate on escutcheon 11 and a pair of spaced side plates 12 and 13, and a U-strap 1 1. A spring actuated drum or pulley 15 is mounted for rotation about an axle 16 which extends between and'is held stationarily by plates 12, 13. One end 17 of actuating spring 18 is connected to axle 16 and the other end 19 is connectedtov thedrurn. The flexible and, preferably, metallic band 20, which is adapted to: formthe connection be tween theba'la-nce and sash iswound about drum 15, and the tendency of the spring is to revolve the drum in'a direction to take the band up thereon.

Face plate 11 has a horizontal or transverse slot 21 through which band 20,. is adapted 'to be led froi'ndru n 15, the plate preferably being bent inwardly adjacent. the slot to provide a. channel 22, the lower face 23 thereof inclining inwardly so, projected, it is substantially tangential with respect to the pulleyf Band 20 passes through channel 22 and, when withdrawn as in Fig. l, is held between face 23 and adjustable brake member 24L. Preferably, channel 22 is widened immediately adjacent slot 21 to provide a brake receiving recess 25, the brake consisting of a lever, preferably in the form, of a flat, steel spring fulcrumed intermediate its ends on a boss or lug 26 The connection generally indicatedat 27 holdsthe brake to the face plate and provides means for ad justing. thebrake to vary its braking effect.

Forthe purpose of this description. and the following claims, I Will consider the brake as an element of the housingstructure, particularly since it partially closes slot 21 and sinceits lower edge 28 determines the effective opening of the passageway for band 20. It will be understood, however,

thatthe provision of a brake and itsemployment for the purpose hereinafter specified is not restrictive on my broader claims, as other elements or portions ofthe housing structure may beemployed, for such a purpose without departing from the spirit and. scope of said claims. I I

Now the tension ofspringlfil is such that, in the absence of preventive means, it would revolve the drum sufliciently to draw the band completely into'housing10, an obviously undesirable effect. This elfect is prevented by attachment member or clip 29 by which" conn'ectionis made between band 20 and window sash S. This 'clip is preferably stamped fromsheet metaland coniprises an elongated body portion 30, the outer end 31 preferably, though not necessarily, being provided with a key hole or bayonet slot 32 adapted to he slipped over a sash-earried nail or screw N.

Struck up from the sides of, the body portion near its forward end are the opposite ears 33,"defining between them. a channel or way 34; in which theend of band 20 is adapted to be laid. Since the metal of which the clip is made is relatively thin, the ears are necessarily thin. and present raw or cutting upper edges 33 well-adapted. to be pressed into wood sashes.

While any suitable means may be employed for connecting the band and clip, a simple, efiicient means is shown. Spaced slots 35 and 36 extend transversely of the body portion and, preferably, approximately fromear to ear. The, end of band-2O is preferably, though not necessarily threaded through the slots in the manner illustrated in Fig. 5.

slot 35., and thenupwardly through slot36, portion 38 of the end being overlaid by the band proper. This threading, puts the smooth length 39 of the band in contact erably, though not necessarily, each shoulder 40 has two. faces, a face tlextending at sub,-. stantially right angleswlth body. portion 29 and spaced from the inner end thereof,

and a face. 12 inclining downwardly to said inner end from the. bottom of face .41.

As band 20 is taken up by spring-actuation ofthe drum, clip 29 is drawn into channel 22, inclined faces 42zworking beneath brake 24 and preferably, thoughnotiieces sarily, clearing it from the band. The cars 33 prevent rocking of the clip and hence. twisting orbinding. of the band since they are adjacent the side walls23" of channel. 22, andv the clip and band are finally brought to rest eitherby the wedging action of faces 42 with the brake or, preferably, by the contact of square-cut shoulder faces .41 with end 28 of said brake.v End 28,1 nay be considered as defining the effective, upper ex'tentiof slot 21. Shoulders 11 are of an extent positivel'y to insure that. the clip be held fronientry to lthehousing, and the two-point engagement they provide between clip and brake aid in keeping the clip from cocking or, binding, particularly where the clip has loose it in channel 22 or where such a channel'or its equivalent is, absent or. of insuilicient deptl w By pressing ears 33 into the sash as in Fig. i, it will be seenthey serve as anchors for the attachment,,member,,the squarecut shoulder faces 40 facing in. the direction, of the line of spring-draft, to obvious advantage. V I

It will be understood the drawings and description are to be" considered' merely as illustrative of .and not restrictive on "the broader claims appended hereto, for various I That is, end 37 is drawn through, channel 3 1 and passed downwardly through.

changes in design, structure and arrange ment may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of said claims.

I claim:

1. In a sash balance, a housing structure having a face plate, a drum journaled with in the housing, a flexible sash-supporting band connected to and wound about the drum, said plate having a transversely extending slot through which the band is led from the drum, means adapted to revolve the drum to take up the band through the slot, said housing structure also embodying a brake member having a portion adapted to engage the band, and a sash attachment member connected. to the band near its free end; said member embodying a'body portion, and a shoulder extending outwardly from said body portion and adapted to engage the brake member when the drum is revolved a predetermined extent in one direction, thereby to limit the extent to which the band is taken up.

2. In a sash balance, a housing structure having a face plate, a drum journaled within the housing, a flexible sash-supporting band connected to and wound about the drum, said plate having a transversely extending slot through which the band is led from the drum, means adapted to revolve the drum to take up the band through the slot, and a sash attachment member connected to the band near its free end; said member embodying a body portion, and a pair of ears on the body portion and bent at angles with respect to the plane thereof, said ears presenting spaced shoulders substantially equi-spaced from the ends of the body portion and adapted to engage the housing structure when the drum is revolved a predetermined extent in one direction, thereby to limit the extent to which the band is taken up, said end of the band extending between said ears and being connected to the body portion at a point between the ears.

3. In a sash balance, a housing structure having a face plate, a drum journaled within the housing, a flexible sash-supporting band connected to and wound about the drum, said plate having a slot through which the band is led from the drum, means adapted to revolve the drum to take up the hand through the slot, and a sash attachment member connected to the band near its free end; said member embodying a substantially flat body portion, and a pair of spaced shoulders substantially equi-spaced from the ends of the body portion and adapted to engage the housing structure when the drum is revolved a predetermined extent in one direction, thereby to limit the extent to which the band is taken up, each of said shoulders having a face extending substantially at right angles to the body portion and another face inclining from said face to the body portion.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 30th day of November 1926.

JAMES P. APPLEBY.

transversely extending 

